two assistants parked themselves for their first study near a four way stop sign between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The assistants randomly selected cars as they approached the stop sign and observed whether the driver, after coming to a stop, waited his or her turn or cut in front of another driver who had arrived earlier, thereby breaking the etiquette of the intersection

Good they didn't do the study in Massachusetts, they wouldn't have been able to determine anything from a four way stop.

In my opinion, MOST people are jerks. But broke-ass jerks and middle-class jerks can't fark over entire cities or countries the way wealthy assholes can. An economically disadvantaged dickweed can cause problems by holding hostages at his workplace or threatening to jump off a bridge. But he can't bribe Congress to give the financial industry a pass on regulation and help cause the global economy to crater.

That's why the rich ones are worse. They do more damage as individuals.

I think most wealthy people don't have a problem with farking someone else over for personal gain.

I've said this in a thread before...I have an acquaintance who has several payday loan businesses. He's rolling in dough. His house is spectacular and he drives very nice cars. He seems like a pretty nice guy, but at the end of the day, he makes a lot of money off of other people financial misery by charging them between 300 and 400% interest on their loans. It's almost impossible to get out of that cycle of misery once you're in. I was at a party he was at and he was talking about people who have $500 loans that they just keep rolling over at that high interest rate. Some have rolled the same loan over every two weeks for five years or more, paying thousands of dollars in interest. I think it's horrible, but that's just my opinion. I know a lot of people would say people who use those places deserve what they get.

I know that I couldn't do something for a living unless I can look myself in the mirror and know I didn't intentionally fark another human over. Maybe that's why I'm squarely in the middle class.

Not excusing all "rich" people, but I own and run my own business and am pretty well off.

The number of frivolous lawsuits or just people in general trying to take advantage increases exponentially when you do well financially. It gets to the point you become cynical and see the worst in people.

Also, I'm not rich, but I'm also an asshole, how much does that skew these results?

The page won't load for me, but I'm guessing they mean rich rich not upper middle class working professional rich.

/Of course since I'm unable to load the article, I have no idea what the criteria is.

The criteria is what kind of car you drive. The article has it wrong, basically says Mercedes drivers are arrogant fools. At least where I live the Mercedes folks tend to be conservative and polite in their driving. (I assume they're mature enough to avoid wrecking their investment just because they want to get one more car-length ahead.) It's the Audi drivers who register as inconsiderate jerks on the roads around here.

Also, I'm not rich, but I'm also an asshole, how much does that skew these results?

The page won't load for me, but I'm guessing they mean rich rich not upper middle class working professional rich.

/Of course since I'm unable to load the article, I have no idea what the criteria is.

The criteria is what kind of car you drive. The article has it wrong, basically says Mercedes drivers are arrogant fools. At least where I live the Mercedes folks tend to be conservative and polite in their driving. (I assume they're mature enough to avoid wrecking their investment just because they want to get one more car-length ahead.) It's the Audi drivers who register as inconsiderate jerks on the roads around here.

That was one test, in another they had people rate their financial status against others.

FTFA: "In a separate study, Piff and his colleagues asked one group of participants to spend a few minutes comparing themselves financially to people better off than they were, while another group was invited to compare themselves against people who were less well off. "

scotchcrotch:Not excusing all "rich" people, but I own and run my own business and am pretty well off.

The number of frivolous lawsuits or just people in general trying to take advantage increases exponentially when you do well financially. It gets to the point you become cynical and see the worst in people.

Cry me a farkin river, I know. But it's true

Whether or not that's true, I think the article keys on something else. There's something about having money that makes people think they're smarter and better than they really are. I've observed this to be true even with people who actually are quite smart and quite nice. I had a time once when I felt kind of rich-ish, and noticed that it had that effect on me. It was weird.

scotchcrotch:Not excusing all "rich" people, but I own and run my own business and am pretty well off.

The number of frivolous lawsuits or just people in general trying to take advantage increases exponentially when you do well financially. It gets to the point you become cynical and see the worst in people.

The highfaluting, sensitive intellectual types are not aggressive risk takers. And they are intensely jealous of those who have more balls than them. They are pissed that society doesn't give them the compensation they feel they're entitled to...

cman:scotchcrotch: Not excusing all "rich" people, but I own and run my own business and am pretty well off.

The number of frivolous lawsuits or just people in general trying to take advantage increases exponentially when you do well financially. It gets to the point you become cynical and see the worst in people.

I'm skeptical. Not that rich people are more likely to be jerks, because I'm certain they are, but this study is BS.

Also, are people who are jerks more likely to be rich? The example Big_Doofus gave of the guy with the loan company is somewhat broadly true--there are plenty of businesses that reward aggressive jerks.

Or does becoming rich make you a jerk? There's some truth to that too--you start to feel entitled in everything.

But to the specific driving issue--I had a friend who bought a BMW, and she said it made here drive like a jerk. It was so responsive and speedy that it made her want to dart in and out of traffic, and she only realized after she had it a while that she was constantly cutting people off. But I agree with Raoul Eaton that I tend to see Mercedes drivers as much more polite than BMW drivers (or Honda drivers, for that matter).

scotchcrotch:cman: scotchcrotch: Not excusing all "rich" people, but I own and run my own business and am pretty well off.

The number of frivolous lawsuits or just people in general trying to take advantage increases exponentially when you do well financially. It gets to the point you become cynical and see the worst in people.

mark12A:Rich people are smart, hard working, aggressive and risk takers.

The highfaluting, sensitive intellectual types are not aggressive risk takers. And they are intensely jealous of those who have more balls than them. They are pissed that society doesn't give them the compensation they feel they're entitled to...

MonkeyDavid:I tend to see Mercedes drivers as much more polite than BMW drivers

Yesterday on the commute to work the guy behind me was driving a brand new Mercedes (the high end one), holding a cellphone to his ear with his right hand, and a cup of coffee with his left hand. I think he was steering with his dick. He was all over the road because he was obviously having a very heated argument. Then he cut someone off to pass on the right, still on the phone and sipping his coffee and yelling. I was surprised he didn't cause an accident.

Somewhat related, I noticed that expensive Mercedes tend to be driving by 30 or 40 something asian women who are oblivious to their surroundings (it must be a San Francisco area thing). Though they aren't as bad as the caucasian mom's driving Acuras (who never farking signal a lane change).

Also, I'm not rich, but I'm also an asshole, how much does that skew these results?

The page won't load for me, but I'm guessing they mean rich rich not upper middle class working professional rich.

/Of course since I'm unable to load the article, I have no idea what the criteria is.

The criteria is what kind of car you drive. The article has it wrong, basically says Mercedes drivers are arrogant fools. At least where I live the Mercedes folks tend to be conservative and polite in their driving. (I assume they're mature enough to avoid wrecking their investment just because they want to get one more car-length ahead.) It's the Audi drivers who register as inconsiderate jerks on the roads around here.

Where I live in So Cal, it's the BMW and Audi drivers that are the least considerate ones. Hardly a day goes by where I don't see a BMW or Audi driver do something unnecessarily aggressive or rude (cutting people off, tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, etc.).

There is a tacit understanding in that ragged, clinging to Victorian times mess that is western culture that, should one acquire enough bank notes, that they are somehow - allowed - to be a complete bag of dicks. Allowed. Like "Achievement unlocked". And we we stop treating people who think that way as if the sun shines out of their ass, they'll stop. Maybe we'll even start using money properly. I ain't holding my breath.

They are jerks because their taxes are too high. Clearly, the problem would be solved with tax cuts.

I'm currently being subjected to non stop political ads for the upcoming Pennsylvania elections. All the democrats are railing about how they going to make the shale gas producers "pay their FAIR SHARE" by imposing gas taxes. I have to restrain myself from screaming at the TV "companies don't pay taxes! They pass it onto their customers!!"

The net result of taxing them is to raise people's heating bills. The demo-tards can't seem to grasp basic economics....

They do seem to have reasonable purchase upon the notion of fiscal integrity and how things are SUPPOSED to work, however. I will never subscribe to the notion that unbridled, pigf*cking avarice is "basic economics".

bunner:There is a tacit understanding in that ragged, clinging to Victorian times mess that is western culture that, should one acquire enough bank notes, that they are somehow - allowed - to be a complete bag of dicks. Allowed. Like "Achievement unlocked". And we we stop treating people who think that way as if the sun shines out of their ass, they'll stop. Maybe we'll even start using money properly. I ain't holding my breath.

Completely unscientific data: held a charity fund raiser for American Cancer Society today in the high profile bank building where I work. We all commented that those who gave were the people with middle to lower income jobs - the highest earners all said "Great Job" and didn't donate anything...

mark12A:They are jerks because their taxes are too high. Clearly, the problem would be solved with tax cuts.

I'm currently being subjected to non stop political ads for the upcoming Pennsylvania elections. All the democrats are railing about how they going to make the shale gas producers "pay their FAIR SHARE" by imposing gas taxes. I have to restrain myself from screaming at the TV "companies don't pay taxes! They pass it onto their customers!!"

The net result of taxing them is to raise people's heating bills. The demo-tards can't seem to grasp basic economics....

Says the guy who doesn't seem to understand supply and demand.

/You raise my heating bill, I lower the thermostat and invest in a nice sweater.

Raoul Eaton:scotchcrotch: Not excusing all "rich" people, but I own and run my own business and am pretty well off.

The number of frivolous lawsuits or just people in general trying to take advantage increases exponentially when you do well financially. It gets to the point you become cynical and see the worst in people.

Cry me a farkin river, I know. But it's true

Whether or not that's true, I think the article keys on something else. There's something about having money that makes people think they're smarter and better than they really are. I've observed this to be true even with people who actually are quite smart and quite nice. I had a time once when I felt kind of rich-ish, and noticed that it had that effect on me. It was weird.

/You raise my heating bill, I lower the thermostat and invest in a nice sweater.

What do you do when you've already lowered the thermostat and are wearing a whole bunch of sweaters, and then they raise the heating bill again? I'm guessing you will eventually pony up the extra money rather than go without heating at all.

Starshines:mark12A: They are jerks because their taxes are too high. Clearly, the problem would be solved with tax cuts.

I'm currently being subjected to non stop political ads for the upcoming Pennsylvania elections. All the democrats are railing about how they going to make the shale gas producers "pay their FAIR SHARE" by imposing gas taxes. I have to restrain myself from screaming at the TV "companies don't pay taxes! They pass it onto their customers!!"

The net result of taxing them is to raise people's heating bills. The demo-tards can't seem to grasp basic economics....

Says the guy who doesn't seem to understand supply and demand.

/You raise my heating bill, I lower the thermostat and invest in a nice sweater.